Secondary school places

Apply to start Year 7 at secondary school in September 2023.

1 Overview

This information only applies if you want to apply for your child to start Year 7 at secondary school in September 2023 as they are in Year 6 at a primary or junior school.

If your child needs a school place in a different year group or at another point in the year, you need to apply to move schools.

2 Find your catchment area school and other local schools

Before applying for your child's secondary school place:

4 Preferences

  • You can apply for up to three different schools. Rank the schools in order of preference - the first school listed should be the one you would most like your child to go to.
  • We advise that you use all three preferences and enter your catchment school as one of your preferences.
  • Please be realistic with your preferences. If you choose an oversubscribed school, the further away you live the less likely you are to be offered a place.
  • If you select a school as a preference that is not your nearest/catchment school, this may impact on your eligibility for transport. Please see the school transport pages for further information.
  • Do not include a school that you do not want as a preference as you may be offered this school.
  • If you apply after the closing date you are far less likely to get a place at one of your preferred schools.
  • After the application deadline you cannot change your preferences unless there is a genuine unforeseeable reason for doing so, for example, if a sibling changes school.

5 Apply for a place

Applications closed on Monday 31 October 2022.

To apply after this date you will need to complete a late application.

6 Offer dates

You will be notified of the outcome of your application by email or letter, depending on how you applied. No information will be provided over the phone.

Applications received before 11.59pm on 31 October 2022

  • If you applied online we will email you the outcome of your application on Wednesday 1 March 2023. Emails will be sent throughout the day so we can't give you an exact time.
  • If you applied by paper form you will be emailed the result later this day if an email address was provided with the application. The admissions office will contact you to request an email address if one is not specified on the form.
  • If you do not have an email address you will receive a letter by second class post.

Applications received after 11.59pm on 31 October 2022

  • If we received your application out of time (1 November 2022 and 28 November 2022) we will consider your preferences after reviewing all the applications we received on time.
  • You will be emailed a letter with the outcome on Wednesday 1 March 2023, as long as you provided an email address in your application.
  • Applications received on or after Tuesday 29 November 2022 are late and outside the normal admissions round. They will not be processed until after 30 March 2023. You will be contacted after this date.

7 Applying after the closing date

Applications closed on Monday 31 October 2022. To apply now, you will need to complete the late application form below.

Apply online for a late application for secondary school (external link)

Do not use this form if you want to move your child in a different year group or at another point in the year. In these instances you need to apply to move schools.

Applying using a paper form

If you are unable to use the online late application form, contact the Pupil Admissions Team to request a paper application form.

You are not encouraged to return your paper forms directly to the Pupil Admissions Team unless you use recorded delivery post.

Claims regarding missing forms will not be investigated unless you can provide evidence that it was received by the Pupil Admissions Team. We are not responsible for forms lost or delayed in the post and recommend that you keep a copy of the form and evidence of posting.

Applying after the closing date means that your preferences will be considered after all the preferences received on time have been allocated.

Last updated:
27 February 2023
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  • West Sussex County Council will only use this email address to respond to any issues raised.